The Epitome of a Nuclear Family
by parallellives14
Summary: This wasn't how it was supposed to go. For either of them. Bellatrix thought she would living in luxury by now, a hero, who served the Dark Lord. Hermione thought she would be happily married with perfect children because if your parents were two-thirds of the Golden Trio, wouldn't you be perfect? But life decided differently. For both of them.
1. Secrets in the Family

Epilogue

The battle wasn't going as planned. Fellow Death Eaters were dropping like flies, and Bellatrix knew she had to choose. Follow him, or save her own skin. Children, literal children were defeating them. Mudbloods were winning. How embarrassing. She frustratedly clenched her jaw, her porcelain face burning in shame. Gripping her wand, she scanned the area. A pureblood girl, with average features and plain hair, was fighting with an in-bred Weasley. She beckoned, and the girl made her way over. Casting a rather strong glamour, and putting the young Death-Eater under the Imperius Curse, the girl was now Bellatrix's pawn. But not the kind in the barbaric Wizard's chess, because if this was Wizard's chess, her head would have already been chopped clean off.

"Fight to the death. Make sure to die. If you somehow survive, I'll kill you myself. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Her own face stared back at her. Blank, eyes glazy. It was delightfully horrible. Nevermind that, the real problem was that Bellatrix had to escape. Leave no trace behind. So, she did. Minutes later Bellatrix Lestrange was declared dead.

But we all know the truth.

Bellatrix's life was literal hell. Children were annoying. Muggle children were even worse. The reason why she is in this hell? She deserted. She deserted the war twenty years ago. Merlin, has it really been that long? Sometimes she wondered how she could have ever tolerated this dirty, muggle existence. Luckily she still had a wand, granted, not hers, and the past twenty years have done very little to her….looks. Magic fixed everything. Magic fixed everything. Magic was her only constant in this world that she loathed. The Muggle world was dull, disgusting and muggles were vile. Every now and then she wishes she could strangle a Muggle child. Get it out of her system. Almost like a juice cleanse.

Was it a mistake to go into hiding? Not really. Was it stupid getting a job in this horrible world?...Yes.

But she had to get a job. This world required it. Luckily, magic could get her the things she needed for a simple teaching job. Teaching music and choir wasn't hard. Any educated pureblood knew how to sing and play instruments. Her next class seemed small, and she saw them recoil a tad when they saw her. Bella knew she has a reputation, strict, emotional and crazy. She remembered when she saw an older child whisper quite indiscreetly to another one that she was sadistic. Which is mightly rude, she thought. Bellatrix thought she acted rather nicely to the brats.

Glancing at the call sheet, she rolled her eyes. What is it with people naming their children Axel or Ryder? Bellatrix hopes the wizarding world isn't filled with these idiotic names. Knowing mudbloods, she wouldn't be surprised. At the very end, a singular name caught her eye.

Scarlett Granger-Weasley.

Looking back to the kids in her classroom, there was a child who looked like the Mudblood. Same scraggly brown hair, but with the pudgy cheeks, freckles and blue eyes of a Weasley. It disgusted her. The only reason it startled Bellatrix so much was that the girl shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be in a private teaching institute for Muggles.

Unless, no, it couldn't be. Unless the Mudblood and the Weasel made a Squib. That made her cackle internally. The girl was staring at her intently, and Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. From what she could remember of the Mudblood, this girl would be a brat. A disgusting half-breed, Weasley, and Mudblood mixed together.

Before she could start her stupid little presentation for the first day of school, a gleam of ruby stopped her. A rather old-fashioned necklace hung around the girl's neck. The ruby pulsed with some sort of enchantment, and she knew that something was off.

``  
Hermione had to suppress the urge to give someone a very irritable call. Instead, she slowly drummed her fingers on her steering wheel. Ron was supposed to pick up Scarlett from her school an hour ago, and yet here she was, driving to the Muggle school while she had very important Ministry work to do. Pulling up to the school, she saw the familiar hunch of her daughter. Luckily, it seemed like a teacher was still there. You never knew these days, and Hermione had plenty of fears for her children. The moment Scarlett saw her car, she scowled. She said goodbye to her teacher and ran towards the car.

"You're late." She deadpanned as she entered the car. Scarlett slammed the door, making the old car rattle.

"Stop slamming the door, you know what we have-" Hermione paused. The teacher that was watching over her daughter was the spitting image of Bellatrix Lestrange. She blinked, her mouth agape and memories of the certain witch flooding her mind. All she could even think about was her own screams and the witches maniacal laughter as she carved Mudblood into Hermione's arm.

"Mother?"

Her daughter's voice broke her out of her shock.

"What? Oh, okay." Hermione started the car. "Rose got into Gryffindor. Isn't that great? Al got sorted into Slytherin, which was a big surprise."

But before her daughter was able to respond, the Bellatrix doppelgänger knocked on her car window. Hermione made sure to make eye contact as she rolled the window down.

"Mrs. Granger-Weasley? I know it is only the first day of school, but we would rather have the children picked up as soon as possible. Not only for their safety but since us, the teachers have things to do." Her tone was sweet, but her body language showed more. Her face held a scowl, and her hands were white around her books.

She hasn't seen a picture of the witch in a long time. Maybe since the war, but from what Hermione could remember, this woman was her.

"Just Miss Granger, please." Hermione stuck her arm out. Unease was crawling up her skin, so palpable she thought the other woman might see it.

The woman now had a wolfish grin on her face. She grabbed her hand in a vice-like grip. Her hands were surprisingly soft and almost velvety. She only dropped it after shaking it for an extremely long time. Her coal black eyes shimmered. Was she looking for the scar?

"Just keep it in mind, Miss Granger." The chilling teacher stepped back, prompting Hermione to roll-up the window. Her hands felt shaky as she put her hand on the gear shift.

There was no way she would still be alive. Nor would she work in a Muggle school. The Bellatrix that she remembered would've scooped her eyes out with a rusty spoon rather than do that. Pressing on the gas pedal, she sped forward.

"Is that one of your teachers?" Glancing over, her daughter was blasting music from her headphones. Deafening, brash, and crude music. Something finally made her reach over and yank them off. Scarlett yelped in surprise.

"What the hell?"

"Is. That. One. Of. Your. Teachers?" Hermione irritably repeated, slowly enunciating every word.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and nodded.

"She is my music and choir teacher. Miss Ridley. Kinda weird. Some of the older kids said she murdered a kid once." Scarlett spoke, with a bored tone.

Bellatrix Lestrange is dead. She can't be teaching in a Muggle school. Hermione repeated those two sentiments as she drove them home.


	2. Sorry Pet x

p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione stared over the pictures on her desk. The haunting pictures just kept repeating Bellatrix screaming over and over again. She was covered in dirt, the Azkaban uniform hanged limply on her thin frame. About a month ago she debated pulling Scarlett out of that school, but Ron convinced her not to. The more she stared at the late Bellatrix Lestrange and her daughter's music teacher, the more they blurred together./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Uh, 'Mione? I got some takeaway, you want any?" Ron yelled from the doorway./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione had no clue why he still came over. Does he not realize what divorce meant? Her stomach then grumbled, and it made her realize he was useful for getting her food. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Jesus, you are still on about that witch? How many times do I have to remind ya? Mum killed her twenty years ago." He peered over her work from behind. "Where the bloody hell did you get the picture of Scar's music teacher? Kinda looking crazy, 'Mione."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione was tempted to throw him out but decided that the takeaway would compensate for how irritating he was./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I am just worried, okay? And for your information, Ronald, Scarlett showed me the schools website. It had her picture. I am not stalking her for Merlin's sake.." Hermione huffed indignantly. While it was true that she was struggling to think of anything else other than the so-called music teacher, this wasn't really stalking- right?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"He gave her a skeptical look and started to unpack the takeaway. The smell of Chinese wafted through the air. More Muggle-borns were bringing Muggle foods, technology, and overall culture into the Wizarding world. Hermione smiled as she loudly popped off the plastic lid to the sweet and sour sauce. The food may not be authentic, but it was good./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Ron hollered up to their only child living at home, Scarlett. She was a wildcard. One, she wasn't, ahem, planned. Two, she turned out to be a squib. Three, her temper was extremely volatile. Some days she liked both of her parents or hated them the next. Harry simply said it was the middle-child syndrome, he even said Albus had it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Well, Al also got sorted into Slytherin, but that's none of her business./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Scarlett came bounding down the stairs. She quickly grabbed her carton and was about to head back up. She paused and glanced back to her parents./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Miss Ridley wants me to stay after with her. To work on my singing and piano. That okay?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Everyday? That is an awful lot, Scar." Ron remarked, scrunching his face up comically. "But if you want to, it's fine." He added./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Scarlett nodded and ran back up to her room, clutching her carton of noodles in her hands. /p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Ron! She shouldn't! That's, like, dangerous!" Hermione protested, her voice bordering on hysteria./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Ron patted her back in a manner that was probably supposed to be reassuring. Instead, she bristled at his touch./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Her teacher is a Muggle, 'Mione. Nothing to worry about."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"~~~~/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Bellatrix smiled, although no one could see the malice behind it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Today, she would be meeting Scarlett for choir lessons. In reality, she is trying to get information on the Wizarding World. It is probably crawling with even more degenerates since Her Lord was no longer with them. If he were to see her now, Merlin's beard. How disappointed he would be. The mere thought of that horrified her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"The loud footsteps of a teenager made Bellatrix snap back to reality./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Miss Ridley! My parents said I could stay after!" The girl happily said./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"The disgusting half-breed was beaming at her, and Bellatrix still had no clue on what her actual plan was. Maybe turn the girl against her family, maybe murder her, there was a ton of options. She had plenty of time to decide./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"The girl herself looked up to Bellatrix. Something that was useful. Scarlett confessed everything to her. From her teenage rebellions against her parents, and how much her mother disliked her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"That was fun./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"She hoped she got under the Muddy's skin that first day, smirking at the memory of her staring at her open-mouthed./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I thought your mother disliked me?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"The girl rolled her eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Dad was the one who verbally confirmed it. She did seem slightly miffed though." Scarlett began to take out her music from her style="background: inherit !important;" /Bellatrix shook her head at this. "Is there a reason why she dislikes you so much?" Scarlett looked up at her from her spot on the floor, frowning. "No clue." She paused for a moment before continuing, eyes falling on the ruby pendant around the girl's neck. "Is that necklace of yours a family heirloom?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Bellatrix knew it wasn't. The Weasleys would have never been able to afford such a thing. She was also sure it was magical. No Muggle trinket would ever pulse like that. Scarlett began playing with the pendant as she examined it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I, I don't know? I've just always had it. I guess?" The young girl made a face./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""May I?" Bellatrix gestured to the necklace. Scarlett nodded, and unfastened the clasp, extending her hand to the woman./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Bellatrix slowly reached out and took the pendant in her palm. Just touching the stone, she could feel the magic inside. The jewelry itself was likely non-magical, but at the heart of it, there was something. Something that didn't know a lot about. She didn't exactly have any books that could be used for research, but if worst came to worst, she could always contact her sister. Bellatrix didn't really think this was so important to open that can of worms yet./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"She dropped the pendant and wiped her hands on her slacks./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Well, it's a very, uh, beautiful necklace. Why don't we start?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"But before they could, Scarlett paused./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Do you think I'm talented, like special or something?" Scarlett inquired tersely./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"God, did this girl really think she cared?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Why are you asking me? Is something wrong at home?" At least she could get something out of this idiotic conversation./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""My older brother and my younger sister are just, special. Like both of my parents, and I'm not. And, it's just, hard." She complained./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Not only did it confirm that she was a Squib, but it made Bellatrix scowl. If this insipid little girl had been part of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, she would've been exiled for even existing. Disgusting Squib./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"And then it clicked. Bellatrix knew what that necklace is./p 


	3. Lying Isn't Very Nice? Is It?

p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione was knee deep in her paperwork when the door shot open and her daughter came bounding in./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""How was your choir lesson?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Her daughter scowled at her. "It was… eye-opening. To say in the least."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione frowned. Her daughter was being even surlier than usual. "Hey, where is your necklace?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I didn't wear it today." Scarlett narrowed her eyes at her mother, almost distrustfully./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione doubted that. She could hear the blundering forcefulness in her daughter's voice when she lied. Mother's instinct, she supposed. Scarlett went halfway up the stairs, and then turned and looked down upon her mother./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Speaking about that necklace, where did I get it?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione mind blanked. That necklace has always just been with her daughter. Like Ron always had some half eaten food in his pockets, or how Hugo always has his glasses. Was it a family- No, that couldn't be it. The Weasleys, bless their hearts, would never have something like that for a family heirloom./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I don't know. Ask your dad." Hermione turned back to her work./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"And every day after that, her daughter would come home from staying after for choir. She would ask cryptid questions, stomp upstairs, and lock herself in her room./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Hey, do you know if there has been anything odd happening in the wizarding world lately?" Scarlett asked her one day, eyes wide with curiosity./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione knew something was off. Scarlett stopped caring about the Wizarding World ever since it was quite clear she would never be able to do magic. Hermione remembered the days of Scarlett waiting at the door for her letter. Her case just always seemed very peculiar. Ron swore up and down that when she was a baby she did magic. But, ever since Hermione could remember Scarlett did not have a lick of magic in her body. Ron had hoped she would be a late bloomer, but their daughter's eleventh birthday came and went and still no letter. Her face, which was still chubby in the cheeks, was horrified. Her little hands were clasped around that ruby necklace, and her daughter morphed into a quiet, spiteful little thing./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione missed talking to her daughter. She used to share everything with her Mum. Her mystical stories, her little crushes, and who actually broke the vase. (It was Rose. Always Rose.) Their little Mummy and daughter talks./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""I don't think anything of importance is happening. If there is, then there is some major miscommunication in the departments. I would be the first one to know after all!" Hermione joked./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Scarlett didn't seem satisfied with that answer as she crossed her arms as if pondering. Then she huffed in defeat and stomped up the stairs./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Around the time of the strange questions and unnerving looks, their newspapers started to go missing. Not the single Muggle paper they get, but only their wizarding ones. Something odd was afoot, and Hermione didn't like it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""How did you get that scar?" Scarlett asked a day after their last talk on comings and goings of the Wizarding World./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione glanced up from her morning tea and a Muggle newspaper she was reading./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""What scar?" How ironic her daughter's nickname was now./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""What scar?" She mocked in a baby voice. "Are you kidding me? The one on your wrist! The one that says Mudblood?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione slammed her hand down on the table. Her scar was something of a hidden secret in the family. Ron never looked at it when they were married, and she always wore something to cover it. The scar represented bad memories and times that Hermione would rather forget./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""So help me God, if you ask another bloody ignorant question I'll make you go live with your father." Hermione was aware that Scarlett didn't know any better, but at the moment all she could acknowledge was her inexplicable fury./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Her daughter sat there quietly. The rhythmic tapping of her foot finally broke Hermione down./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""A witch. A horrible, insane, witch. Obsessed with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Obsessed with blood purity. Her name was Bellatrix Lestrange. She is the one I've been researching."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Bellatrix Black."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione stiffened. How could she possibly know that? "Her name was Bellatrix Lestrange. Why are you even asking me this if you already know? Why are you asking me anything?" She demanded./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Is it that much of a problem for me to ask about the Wizarding World? Do I not deserve to know? Is it because I am a dirty em style="box-sizing: border-box; background: inherit !important;"Squib/em?" Scarlett snarled that last word with such bitterness that Hermione flinched./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"The girl stood up abruptly and walked straight out of the house. Hermione's eyes were wide as saucers as she watched her leave, rooted to her spot. She felt like she was just transported back to her early years of Hogwarts, and her daughter was the ignorant twat Malfoy was./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Who would call themselves a dirty Squib?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"``/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Ginny stared at her horrified. Her friend slowly put down her cup and grabbed Hermione's hand. Hermione just finished with telling her what has happened with Scarlett these past few weeks, and Ginny didn't know how to react./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Well, maybe you ought to send her to Mum, she'd would set her head on straight real quick." The redhead's brow was creased in worry as she spoke./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione could hypothetically do that. But Molly Weasley has always been a touchy subject for her middle child. Molly couldn't fathom a Squib being born from her son and Hermione. Two-thirds of the Golden Trio./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""You think she was stealing your papers? Odd thing for her to do." Ginny commented, taking a sip of her tea./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Hermione shrugged. Everything seemed off nowadays. The letters from Rose always had her complaining about her cousin, and the letters from Hugo were him telling everything Rose has done since she entered the castle. Neither asked how their sister was./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;""Ginny, do you worry about Al? Rose keeps telling me he has been having troubles."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Ginny laughed. "I worry about him non-stop. But I think that's just me being a Mum. Al will get over his school problems. Your daughter? It has to be a phase, Hermione. It has to be."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Three days later and a letter for a teacher's conference showed up./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #f5f6f5; color: #222222; font-family: 'Diaria Light Pro', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"Sent by none other than Beatrice Ridley, Music and Choir teacher. Hermione's hand that held the letter shook. How couldn't she have realized this sooner? Ridley? Dead ringer for Riddle. The proof has been staring at her in the face the whole time. She felt like an idiot. The actual conference was later in the day tomorrow. Hermione had no clue what she was gonna say, or how she would fare. But she knew that something important was going to happen./p 


	4. Stop Forgetting and You'll Remember

Hermione grabbed her wand. Was it slightly overboard to bring her wand to a parent-teacher conference?

No. Hermione knew for an absolute fact that she was going to capture the last Death Eater in existence. Well, the last of the originals. Slipping her wand inside of her jacket, Hermione steeled herself in front of the school door.

If she was correct, her daughter has been spending a multitude of days with a homicidal, insane woman. That thought made her curl her hand into a first. God, how did it take her so long to figure it out?

The private Muggle Academy she has been sending her daughter to always seemed okay. It had good reports, a solid staff and her daughter seemed to like it enough. The corridors inside were covered with posters advertising programs and clubs. Looking for the Arts hallway, she came across a bulletin board.

Arts Student of the Month.

The drama teacher had one up, as well as the art teacher, but the one that Miss "Ridley" chose was none other than her daughter. Hermione ghosted her fingertips over her daughter's frozen face.

"Miss Granger! I am so happy to see you!" A chilling voice called behind her.

Hermione spun around and was staring at her. Hermione was a few inches taller, and she didn't remember the witch being this short. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that this may not be her.

"Please sit, sit." The other woman spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice. God, it didn't even look like she has aged a day.

"To start off, your daughter is doing amazingly in my class. No need to worry about her in my class!" She laughed. "It's just whenever she mentions she is always... unnerved, so to speak. I don't think she has been speaking to you about things. For example, she will be starring in the school's musical and-"

"Stop lying to me." Hermione bit out.

The other woman didn't seem surprised. She gave Hermione a horrifying smirk. Bellatrix slowly leaned over the desk and drummed her talon-like nails on her wooden surface.

"So the little Muddy has caught me? Huh?" She mocked in a baby voice. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?"

Hermione quickly pointed her wand at Bellatrix's throat. The dark witch looked up at her with hooded eyes and smiled. She was still sitting in her desk chair, while Hermione stood.

"I am the Minister of Magic, and I will get you arrested and put in Azkaban forever."

"No need to be so bossy, pet. Am I really causing any harm? Do I really need to go away?" Bellatrix whined, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

Hermione pushed the wand deeper into the witch's neck. She had the upper hand here, and she will seize this opportunity.

Bellatrix wrapped her hand around the wand pointed at her neck. Hermione didn't realize till then that her hand was shaking. The dark witch pulled the wand down.

"Why don't we talk like adults? Would you do that for me, Miss Muddy?"

Her enemy now stood and went in front of the desk, Hermione's arm was limp against her body. She was surprised her wand was even in her hand.

Bellatrix grabbed her chin and smiled.

"You may ask yourself, why did she reveal herself? Wasn't very smart? But, you see, it doesn't matter." Bellatrix paused and gave Hermione another bone-chilling look.

"Obliviate!" She screeched, and Hermione only felt blank. She swayed for a bit and crumbled to the ground.

"I gave the charm something more. Do you like it?" Bellatrix whispered to her passed out companion.

Hermione was walking home from the teacher's conference. She couldn't believe she was wrong. But it was a silly theory wasn't it? Molly Weasley killed her years ago. She was glad to get rid of all the complicated writings on how she thought Bellatrix could be alive. But in the back of her head, there was a small voice protesting as she threw out the last paper.

Christmas was coming up, and like always, they were going to spend it at the Weasleys. She felt uneasy with how Scarlett has been acting. Christmas should be a happy occasion, but with the walls, Scarlett is building, Hermione doubts this year will be as fun.

``  
Hermione smiled as Hugo chased James up the stairs. Harry was sitting in a well-loved armchair with Lily in his lap, and Ginny was fussing with her dress. Albus was sitting on the sofa, a letter he was writing in his lap. George was in the kitchen helping Molly, and everything was serene. Ron was sneaking food out of the kitchen to eat, and every now and then Molly would smack him in the back of his head.

Thoughts of murderous witches and the issues with her middle child didn't plague her today. No, today was a day for family and friends. Hugo finally caught up with James, making both of them tumble down the stairs.

"Oi! Watch it!" Molly yelled at them. They both apologized, laughing and panting in between each word.

"Al, dear, will you go get Scarlett? I am afraid she has been upstairs the whole time!" Molly asked.

Albus huffed, and he started to angrily put his letter away. Hermione could the beginning of a scene taking its shape. Scarlett didn't like to be disturbed; neither did Albus. Scarlett didn't like her grandmother very much and she loathed Albus. Hermione was about to tell Albus that she was gonna go get her when a loud crash was heard from where Hugo was.

"What have we told you about roughhousing in the house!" She scolded. They were both red in the face.

"Sorry, Mum!"

"Sorry Aunt 'Mione."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys will be boys. Albus was already climbing the many stairs and she didn't have the energy to stop him.

Settling down into the loveseat, she stretched her arms up until she heard the audible pop in her back. Hermione started reading the paper with a content sigh. The papers at her home were still missing, so this was the first time she has read one in a while. Loud yelling made her jerk her head up from her reading.

Hermione dashed upstairs to the spare room Scarlett locked herself into the moment they arrived. In front of her was a terrifying scene, Al pointing his wand at her daughter.

"Stop lying! I saw you use a wand! Who are you? Stop Lying!" He repeated. Scarlett was standing ramrod straight.

"Mama!" She called out pleadingly. Hermione heard her little girl again, the one she has been missing for a while. She wanted to inch closer, help her baby, but something stopped her.

Albus inched closer, but they were now surrounded. Everyone in the house was in a tiny hallway.

"She had a wand. She was doing magic. That is not Scarlett." Albus' voice was eerily calm.

"Oh, I am Scarlett alright." Gone was the begging tone, instead, she sounded cold and calculating.

She grabbed a chain around her neck and slammed into the wooden floor. Black smoke arose from the pendant.

Her ruby necklace.

The smoke billowing out was taking shape of a person, and everyone took steps backward when none other than Bellatrix Lestrange was in front of them, arms crossed and looking slightly disgruntled.

"This better be good, girlie. I gave that to you for emergency purposes." The dark witch's hooded eyes scanned the room with mild curiosity.

"He caught me." Scarlett pointed to Al accusingly. "He caught me practicing."

Hermione felt like she was frozen. Everything she thought was true. How did she not figure this out back at the teacher's conference?

"I obliviated your mind, Muddy. Is that what is going through your mind? You found out too quickly. Girlie over here didn't have it yet." Bellatrix looked over to Scarlett, her face softening marginally. "I trust that you have it? If you don't-"

"No, I do."

Scarlett extracted a wand Hermione hasn't seen in years. She thought she had kept it safe in her office at the Ministry.

Bellatrix smiled a toothy grin as she snatched the wand away from Scarlett. Turning the wand over in her hand, Bellatrix whispered,

"Back with Mommy. The bad little Muddy took you away."

Almost everyone seemed grounded to their spots, and Molly stepped forward, her face blanched in horror.

"I killed you! I killed you!"

Bellatrix ignored her and held her arm out for Scarlett. Hermione's daughter gave her one last dead eyed-stare and Apparated away with the Death Eater.

Hermione fell to her knees and broke down crying.


	5. Mama? I Just Killed A Man

'Minister of Magic's Squib daughter kidnapped by thought to be dead Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange' was the title of today's Daily Prophet. Narcissa put it down on the table and sighed. Bellatrix eyed her younger sister. She didn't use youth potions as Bella did, Narcissa chose to age beautifully and Bella internally laughed.

If Bella didn't use her potions, Azkaban would've made her age worse then McGonagall.

"Bella, what you did was very rash. Why couldn't you let the girl figure it on her own? Instead, your little show causing a whole stir." Narcissa huffed.

A tad melodramatic, Bella thought.

"Oh hush up. We both know I have been never really been a planner, have I? One of Potter's offspring pointed his wand at her, so she called on me."

Cissy narrowed her eyes. "What exactly is your plan with this girl? Why do you care so much about a Squib?"

Bella sighed and put her feet on the table. Her little sister's eyes zeroed in on them, in obvious annoyance.

"You see, the thing is, the girlie ain't a Squib. A powerful witch, actually. I was half blown away myself when I realized it. If it wasn't for that necklace she would've been a terribly powerful Obscurial. Would have loved to see that." She paused to drink some wine. "That stupid little necklace? It was draining the little brat. Every drop of magic. No wonder they thought she was a Squib. I am still tinkering with the damn thing to see how it works."

"You don't know the magic on this necklace, yet, you add enchantments on it? What if it backfired and killed you?"

Bellatrix rolled her eye and waved her hand nonchalantly. "So? Doesn't really matter now, it's over. The necklace is broken." Bellatrix got up to leave, but Narcissa tutted.

'Who would give such horrendous magic to a child? If they knew it would drain them of their-"

"Are you actually asking me this? I have killed children, Cissy."

Her sister had an unreadable face. She picked up the paper and went back to reading.

It wasn't even like it her fault that she was exposed, the necklace was enchanted so that whenever Scarlett needed Bellatrix, it would Apparate her there. Bellatrix didn't take into account what giving such a powerful item to a child meant. Like said child impulsively using it at such an inconvenient time.

Also, Scarlett was also really annoying. She had to restrain herself from slapping the girl multiple times. The mere hour or two they spent together after school was nothing compared to the situation now. She first took them to the Malfoy Manor, but Narcissa quickly took them to an old beach house she owned to avoid suspicion. Apparently, Aurors have already visited the Manor four separate times looking for them. Cissy traveled back and forth. Young Scorpius has come a few times, but for some reason, Draco didn't like that.

How dull. Her nephew has no backbone. At least having Scorpius around stopped the idiotic questions that left the half-breed's mouth every five seconds.

She asked if the house had an internet connection. Bellatrix almost slammed her head into a wall.

Trudging up the stairs, Bellatrix bristled as she heard loud, uproarious music. That damn girl! She talked about wanted to be a witch so bad, but refused to let go of her dirty muggle music.

"Are you sure it was Madame Lestrange?" The glassy-eyed, pale-faced Auror asked. He looked bored and uninterested. He didn't seem to care that something traumatic happened. Hermione has been asked this question four times already. Hermione felt dead tired, her eyes were stinging and puffy from crying and she just felt done.

"I am plenty sure an insane, murderous woman kidnapped my child!" Her voice came out a snarl. "Do you really want to question the Minister of Magic?" You insensitive little-"

" 'Mione! Let's take a small break." A comforting voice said behind her. Harry wrapped his arm around her, and Hermione laid her head on his shoulder.

"A known Death Eater can't be that hard to catch. Especially one like Bellatrix. I want her dead myself." Harry murmured. His dark, shiny hair was a tad shaggy, and it tickled her forehead. Glancing around the room, Ginny looked absolutely wrecked, and she held Lily close to her. Albus went off sulking, and Ron….Well, she couldn't decipher Ron.

Hermione was hysterical mere minutes after her daughter disappeared with the Death Eater. It was all really hazy, but she knew she screamed at Ron, and pulled up her sleeve and showed the scar.

She screamed about how she knew Bellatrix was alive and how Ron said she was over thinking a mere muggle. How it was his fault that this happened. But that wasn't true, Hermione and everybody else in the room knew. The only person at fault was Bellatrix Lestrange for taking her daughter. But it felt good to put the blame on her ex-husband. Almost like pent-up anger from years ago.

Albus was sat down by a kinder-looking Auror. While the Auror had a gentle expression, Albus was vacant and almost felt like he wasn't entirely there. He hadn't told anyone what he saw before the entire commotion. Multiple days have passed since the kidnapping and he hasn't said a word. Not one. Most of the family hasn't spoken to him either. Quid pro pro of no communication.

"Okay, Mr. Potter, can you describe what happened? In detail please."

"Well, I was supposed to tell her that it was time to eat," he deadpanned. "She was blaring Muggle music, and the door was locked. So, I opened it with magic. I guess it was an invasion of privacy but eh, I didn't really care." Albus shrugged and started to pick at his fingernails. "She was sitting in the corner all creepy like, and she didn't hear me of course since the music was too loud. So, I went over, and Scar was facing the wall so it wasn't until I poked her I saw she had a wand and a book."

The Auror looked up. His quill was held tightly in his hands, and the parchment held a messy scrawl of Al's statement. His notes weren't very long since there was so little information.

"Can you describe the book and the wand she was using, please?"

Albus scratched his head and looked like he was trying to remember.

"Her wand was long, silver and thin. It had like a shiny black handle which was barely thicker than the rest of it. At the end it looked like a claw, I think. And it held a gem. I think it was red. Like a ruby."

The Auror stopped writing.

"Like her necklace?"

Al nodded. "And the book looked really old. And in a different language. Maybe Latin? It had some really creepy drawings of like, murder and stuff."

Hermione turned away, for she had couldn't listen to statements any longer. Tomorrow she would talk to Draco at the Ministry and...and… she didn't know what she will do next. They already exhausted talking to Narcissa. She wouldn't tell them anything.

But there was always Andromeda. The estranged Black sister.


	6. green isn't your color

Hermione rapped her knuckles on the cold glass of her door. Her small little cottage she bought after the divorce mocked her. Her escape from the intense life now held a fuming ex-husband and her ex-mother in law.

Fun.

Her cottage was supposed to her private place away from the Ministry and other people who get on her nerves. (Ron.) But now Aurors roamed it, and she had to knock to get in. She had to knock to get in her own house.

It was idiotic.

The familiar mop of ginger hair opened the door, and he had a look of trepidation on his face.

"I talked to Malfoy." She dropped her bag on the table. "He knows where she is." Ron smiled hopefully. "But he can't tell me. I can tell. He wants to, but something is stopping him. My theory is that Bellatrix threatened him."

Ron stared at her, his shock palatable. He took a deep breath, and said,

"Hermione, I know you feel like you are alone in this situation but she's my daughter too. If Malfoy knows where she bloody is, he has no right to withhold it. I don't care if the bloody git gets killed by his insane aunt. I want my daughter to be safe."

Your daughter? She questioned in her head.

He looked exasperated, and before he could completely calm down, he started up again. "You know what? Hermione? I'll never understand ya. I realize that now. One moment you're blaming me for our daughter getting kidnapped and the next you give a man a free pass because you feel like he was threatened. Malfoy knows where she is. It's obvious. Yet you don't care-"

"Get out of my house. Ronald."

He started to sputter incoherently, blue eyes wide.

"GET OUT!" Hermione screamed, and it was then did she realize that she is under a lot of stress. She may need to take a break.

Hermione sank down into a wooden chair, and on the kitchen floor, in a corner, she her daughter's school bag.

The Annual Malfoy Christmas Party was up and running. The Manor was decorated impeccably because his Grandmother wouldn't have anything less than perfect. Silver and gold were glittering everywhere. Multitudes of trees decorated the hallways. It all accumulated to a giant tree, which shone like a beacon in the middle of the ballroom. Scorpius stood in the far corner, watching the people mingle. He knew his father would rather people watch then mingle with the pureblood elite but appearances were appearances.

Bellatrix was here, magic slightly altering her appearance so no can truly say she was here. Allusions, the woman told him. The guests knew it was her, but they could just simply just ignore it. Bellatrix scared Scorpius. She asked him to call her Aunt Bella once, with the most insane look on her face he had ever seen and after that, he had gone to ignoring the woman.

The girl was here too. Dressed up in fancy robes, his Grandmother doted on her for some reason. Father said it was because she never had a little girl in the house before. He tried to be nice to her, but she acted much like Bellatrix. And Al's opinion on her as already tainted his image of Scarlett Granger-Weasley.

Father said it was sad. Grandmother said it was because she raised as a Muggle, and although that's not bad, she never felt true parental love.

Scorpius thought that if he had a child who was a Squib he would love them the same as a wizarding child. But who really knew how her parents treated her. Although Rose was a major bitch, she seemed to be well-loved by her famous parents.

He felt guilty. Al wrote to him almost every day and although Al didn't like his cousin very much, he still seemed upset. And Scorpius knows where she is. He also knows where the mass murdering, crazy, still alive Death Eater was.

The cold glass that had his drink started to wobble. Okay. He knew what he had to do. He had to write a letter to Al. Get the girl away, and get Bellatrix into prison. Then life would go back to normal. Father would only focus on Mother, and not on the insane person who roamed around.

He was weaving through all the wizards and witches before a small, but a strong hand stopped him.

"Narcissa wants to see you!" Bellatrix sang, and Scorpius felt his bones chill. Of course, she had to stop him, like she somehow knew. He gave her one last glare and scurried off to find his grandmother.

Narcissa beamed the moment she saw him.

"Stand with Scarlett, and smile!" She scuttled to the photographer.

"Green robes? You didn't get sorted did you?" He asked sarcastically. "It isn't your color."

"I could be in Slytherin, you'll never know." She was looking straight ahead. Her back was ramrod straight.

Scorpius laughed. Like that would ever happen.

"I doubt it. I think Ravenclaw would be a better fit." He declared. "Just because Bellatrix would want you to be in Slytherin-"

"The Dark Lord was a half-blood. And he's the most famous Slytherin. So I don't see a problem." She sneered, almost like she had to prove it to him.

"That wasn't what I meant- Nevermind." The bright flash of the camera went off, and he practically sprinted away from their lovely guests.

He needed to get these people out of his family's life. Grabbing a quill, and a piece of parchment, he quickly dipped the quill into the ink. His movements caused the ink to spatter across the parchment but he didn't care.

His hand was shaking slightly, but he wrote the neatest letter he could as fast as he could.

He sprung out of his seat and started to sprint through the manor. The faster he got this letter out of his hands, and in the hands of his friend, the sooner life would go back to normal. He was about to open the door to the staircase up to the owlery when his Grandmother stopped him.

"What is the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?" She asked gently.

"I forgot to send my friend his letter. I just remembered!" He said, making the up the lie on the spot.

She smiled at him indulgently. In a way, only a Grandmother would.

"No need to rush. Now go send the letter, but slow down. Don't break anything." She sent him off, and the moment the owl flew off, he knew he just made the biggest decision of his life.

The place was obviously, homey, to say in the least. Vines ran up the side of the house, and roses decorated those vines. Flowers were planted everywhere, and the house had a lovely little air of magic just surrounding it.

She knocked on the door, and it opened by itself. A big oversized green armchair was in the corner, and while the house was impeccably clean, it had an off feeling to it.

"Hermione! Please come in."

She hasn't seen Andromeda Tonks in a very long time. She forgot how much she looked like Bellatrix. The same cheekbones and the same hauntingly pretty look. Except she actually aged and had soft brown curls that didn't look like a raccoon attacked it.

"Mrs. Tonks, as you know this is a very sensitive matter-"

"Call me Andy dear."

Hermione nodded. "I'll get right to the point. Do you know anyplace she will be?"

The other woman tapped her hand on the side of her chair.

"I honestly don't. I am so very sorry, but I haven't had relations with them in years. Even if Bellatrix needed refuge, she wouldn't come to me. She utterly hates me, and I think she is despicable herself."

Sometimes Hermione thinks she forgets what happened in the war. But you never truly do. Bellatrix killed her sister's husband and daughter.

Hermione looked down at her hands and felt her shoulders slump in defeat. In reality, she could force Draco to talk. But Draco looked downright scared when she talked to him. He didn't need to say why it was obvious. Bellatrix threatened him.

"I found these books in my daughter's backpack, and I think they are pretty old. I have no other reason to believe that Bellatrix gave them to her. Could you maybe identify them?"  
Andromeda nodded. Hermione handed over the small stack of pretty old books. Many were filled with pictures and diagrams that she couldn't even figure out. The moment Andromeda opened the one on top, she gasped.

"This was Bella's journal. When we younger, she tried to make spells and liked to mess with the animals around the house. She all recorded it into her journals. She never let us, Cissy and I, I mean, touch them. I-I can't believe she still has them."

Hermione nodded, unsure what to say.

"Why would she give them to my daughter?"

The older woman shrugged.

"I never really understood why my sister did anything."

A loud thunk against the window made both of them turn towards the noise. For some very peculiar reason, Errol was still alive. Hermione rolled her eyes and retrieved the letter. Opening it as fast as she could, she finally learned something. She had good news.

Hermione quickly got up and glanced at the fireplace.

"Yes, its part of the network." Andromeda sighed.

Hermione nodded and grabbed some Floo Powder. Albus just got a letter, and apparently, this letter is going to change this game of cat and mouse.


	7. who is she

_'Dear Al,_

 _Happy Christmas! I just wanted to tell you that before I break the news. I am so very sorry that I didn't tell you this sooner, but I was too afraid. Bellatrix and your cousin have been spending their time at my grandmother's beach house. Not only has the woman threatened my father, but she also threatened my mother. No one knows I have sent this, and please don't say how you got this information. Bellatrix wasn't very secretive at the Malfoy Christmas Party so I hope she thinks some other guest revealed where she was._

 _Please fix this. I can't do this anymore. She is absolutely horrid._

 _X. Scorpius'_

"And you think this is legit?" Hermione asked her nephew, and he nodded. The parchment was creased, and Hermione kept folding and unfolding it.

"He's telling the truth. Scorpius values his family the most, and if his mother was in harm's way, he would be upset." Albus claimed.

This was a turn of events. If this was real, they had Bellatrix in a corner.

"We will have to go now. We have the element of surprise. If we wait for even a second, she might find out." Hermione said with conviction.

Ron and Harry had a shared look of doubt.

"Al, look, Scorpius may be your friend, but-"

"But, he's a Malfoy? Why does that matter? I trust him, Dad. And isn't this the only lead we've got? You would rather sit here and do nothing than take a chance?" Albus questioned.

Hermione looked down at the parchment.

"I am going. I have to find my daughter."

Ron reached out his hand towards her. "Hermione, the ministry-"

"I run the damn Ministry, Ron! And I'm going. You can't stop me."

The mansion was old. That was given. It looked like it hasn't been lived in for years. The surrounding sand was grey. The water was not too far away, for it thrashed violently against rocks near the cliff.

She forgot to mention the house was on a cliff.

Hermione stared at the water. They were hidden, of course, but it almost felt like Bellatrix was watching her, and only her. A hand grabbed her shoulder, making Hermione jump.

"We ought to, um, get started." Harry looked determined, but Hermione could tell, he was wary.

"We are arresting every single one of those bastards." Ron snarled, as he gripped his wand tightly.

"No, we are not. We can't create a huge commotion. Get Scarlett and arrest Bellatrix, if we can. The keyword is if. Our top priority is rescuing Scarlett."

Ron gave her a dirty look as he fiddled with a button on his robes.

"Are you ready 'Mione?"

Looking back up at the mansion that seemed to teeter on the edge of the cliff, Hermione swallowed her nerves.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Surprisingly, they were able to get inside the house with no one catching them. No one appeared to be inside the house.

'I told you this was fake!" Ron whined.

She shushed him and looked around the corner. They were in some sort of storage cellar, with vegetables surrounding them. Harry almost tripped on a pile of carrots.

"I think I hear something."

Ron looked at her and rolled his eyes.

A silvery blonde head of hair burst into the cellar, his pale face flushed with obvious anger.

In an angry whisper, Draco said, "What the bloody hell are you doing here? Do you want your daughter killed?"

Hermione stepped forward.

"Bring us up. Say you found us, and we'll be able to ambush her."

"And if I do this, how will you survive against both Bellatrix, my mother and myself?"

Ron straightened his back. "Because you wouldn't be fighting with them. You'll bloody help us, or I'll kill you."

Harry held his hand out, blocking Ron.

"Malfoy, just get us up there. When the fighting starts, just run. Grab Scarlett and go. We'll take it from there."

Draco sighed.

"Fine. Let me, uh, tie you up down here. I'll do it loosely so you can, uh get out quickly. I won't bring you upstairs."

"Just bloody do it then! We don't need a play by play." Ron whispered urgently.

Hermione watched Draco head upstairs after he tied the rope limply around them. He gave her a look, and Hermione felt the first stab of fear.

She flinched when she heard a very loud cackle from upstairs. The gleeful laughter got closer and closer till she heard footsteps impending on the stairs.

Hermione looked down at her feet. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to look at the woman.

It wasn't until a cold hand gripped her chin and yanked her head up did she realize how bad of an idea this was.

"You didn't gag them? Aw. You were doing so well, Draco!"

Hermione felt Harry slip out of the loose bindings. Ron followed soon after. She hesitated and could feel them tapping her.

A signal.

She snapped back into reality and pulled her hands out of the loose ropes. All at once, they each had a wand in their hand and were pointing it at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix pressed her hand on her chest, in mock offense.

"Draco! You-"

He was gone.

She whipped back at them, had an actual look of fear, and booked it.

The trio followed her up the cellars stairs, through a hallway, and into a large room. Most likely the Dining Room judging by the stupidly large table.

A bewildered Narcissa and an angry Bellatrix stood them down.

"How dare you come into my sister's house without her permission! How dare you try and arrest me while I have done nothing wrong at all!"

Ron scoff was a tad over exaggerated.

"Nothing wrong? Are you bloody smoking something? You are a murderer! You a kidnapped my daughter, you absolute bitch!"

Bellatrix turned to her sister, "What's with the Weasels and calling me a bitch?"

Narcissa grabbed her sister by her shoulder.

"Bella, please. This family has-"

"So you want me to go back to that hell? You are acting no better than our traitor of a sister. I am the Head of House Black, and you are-"

"Bellatrix, Stand down," Hermione stated firmly. "I won't make you go back to Azkaban." Harry gave her a look. "I just want my daughter, please, I can make sure you don't go, after all, I run the Ministry."

The other woman narrowed her eyes.

"Why would I trust a word that comes out of your filthy Mudblood mouth?"

Hermione gripped her wand tighter.

"I could have you killed, do you want that? You brainwashed my daughter, convinced her you are some martyr and made her steal a wand that is lawfully my property just so you can, what? Cackle that you kidnapped a child? Voldemort died. The war ended. You were withering away in the muggle world, and no one cared. People want you head off your body, and I am giving you a chance to fucking save your own skin and you just antagonize me."

Bellatrix sneered. "Kill me then."

Narcissa squeaked in horror.

The room was eerily quiet and time seemed to tick no longer.

A door slowly creaked open and Scarlett was there.

Hermione cursed Draco in her head. Bastard.

"Mum? Bellatrix, I, "

"Shut up." Bellatrix hissed. "Get over here now!"

Hermione watched as her daughter glanced in between her and the Black Sisters. Narcissa held out a hand, and Scarlett practically ran towards them.

"Scarlett Minerva Granger-Weasley, you are so grounded!"

Bellatrix yanked Scarlett towards her, and in a snap, apparated away.

Hermione felt her heart drop, and her stomach flipping. She screamed until her throat couldn't make any more sound.

For every stepped they take, it seemed Bellatrix was already ten steps ahead. Yet those ten steps seemed to be her walking blindly, with no plan at all.


	8. mysterious places we ought to travel to

Bellatrix could feel her guts scream. She felt like she could physically see her pain, which wasn't fun.

Apparating this far was the stupidest decision she ever made in her life.

The girl was throwing up, and Bellatrix saw red staining the girls white stockings.

Splinched.

"Get the hell up, we have to get inside." There was a cottage not too far away that Bellatrix tried to Apparate to but failed. Obviously.

The girl gave her a glare. Bellatrix hoisted her up, and slowly they made themselves over. The cottage was small, and the windows looked dirty.

"Who the hell lives here?"

"Well, I am not entirely sure, but hopefully, my daughter."

Scarlett went stiff and looked at her.

"What?"

"My daughter. Do try and keep up."

She knocked on the door, and slowly the wooden door creaked open. A head poked out, and Bellatrix saw her daughter for the first time since she was a baby.

Delphi's face looked like she has seen a ghost.

"How- Why?"

"Can you let us in?"

Delphi bowed her head and led them into the cottage. Bellatrix plopped Scarlett on the couch and tore off the stocking covering the wound.

"Why are you here?"

"Ah, yes, that is how you treat your Mother. Your Mother who is on the run."

"You mean the Mother who abandoned me?"

"We did it for your own safety, but, no, complain like a toddler. Get me some bandages and the ingredients to make a healing potion."

Scarlett winced as the bandages hit her leg, the wound was not deep, but still painful.

"You should try and sleep and not bother me with your little whimpers."

Bellatrix went the same way her daughter went and met her in a little room that shot off the main section.

"I need to heal the girl. We need to go somewhere farther than this."

"So this is your safehouse until the Minister breaks in and tries to kill you?"

"No, I plan to go somewhere no one can find me."

Delphi gave her a look as she was chopping an ingredient.

"What are you trying to achieve? You are a single witch, a witch without no allies and many opponents. Why take the daughter? You were Voldermort's number one lieutenant and your biggest scheme was kidnapping?"

Bellatrix gripped the edge of the wooden countertop. "Don't call him that."

"What?"

"He was your Father."

Delphi rolled her eyes.

"You might be my Mother but I don't view you as mine. Neither do I view Voldermort as my father. I think you have no plan, you acted rashly, and you wading through this blind."

She cringed. That was really what was happening. She was simply too proud to admit it.

"Look, I was living in hell. What was I supposed to do when I come face to face with the daughter of the Mudblood? Just live some more? It didn't help she had a heavily enchanted necklace and those enchantments...They're ancient. I was able to modify them and what not but, they weren't normal."

"Odd." She paused, her silver hair falling over her face. "Bellatrix, I do have a portkey that can take you to around Ilvermorny. The American Wizarding school. The Ministry doesn't know I exist, but they might figure it out sooner or later. The moment when the girl is healthy enough, go." She paused. "I may resent you for certain things, but you are still my mother."

Bellatrix just nodded.

Delphi looked wary, but she agreed to give them the portkey. Scarlett was only slightly limping by now and was able to walk.

"Promise me, promise me," Delphi said as she held the old picture frame.

"Yes, I do."

Bellatrix took the portkey and Scarlett and she were transported into some woods.

Scarlett puked again.

"Get up. I am dropping you off at that school, under uh, some fake name."

"Why?"

Bellatrix knew she didn't want some girl following her while she was on the run, but she couldn't exactly say that.

"For your safety, idiot."

"Well, what's my name then? It must not be ugly. Perhaps something French." She pauses. "Marie! Like the queen!"

"She got her head chopped off. Very nice role model."

Scarlett stuck out her tongue.

"No leads. How the hell can they disappear with no leads? Surely, she must have traveled to somewhere important!"

"She has no other allies, Hermione. Who would she go to?"

Hermione glared at Draco.  
"I don't like forcing the truth out of people, Draco."

He sputtered and turned bright red. "I am telling the truth! How dare you-"

"Not you. Your mother. I know you are telling the truth. Bellatrix always made you uncomfortable, I remember."

Narcissa won't talk. She's currently in holding because it was, in fact, illegal to hold a fugitive in your home.

"I'm trying to get her to talk, but she just makes me feel like a child and then I feel bad for chastising my own mother." Draco laments, running his hand through his hair.

"Miss?" Her assistant, Nessa, peeked her head through the door.

"I'm in a meeting, could this wait?"

"I have a call from a woman named Delphine. She claims to have info on Bellatrix."

Hermione stood up a tad too quickly, causing papers to flutter off of her deck.

"Put her through. We are taking every chance we can."

Her assistant nodded and closed the door.

How could the government miss this? This girl existing posed a huge threat and yet no one knew? Hermione sees cracks in the Ministry every day, and this one was huge. Luckily, she lived secluded and far away from anyone.

"Thank you for contacting us, you are doing the Wizarding World a great favor. Please tell us what you know."

The girl looked skeptical. "I only called you because I don't want my own life in jeopardy. If I tell you what I know, I want reassurance that I can continue my life out here with no one trying to kill me because of who I am related to."

She nodded, her smile a bit more strained.

"She came to my house. As you saw, I am a bit far from anywhere really. Your daughter was spliched, and she wanted me to heal her. I did, and I confronted her on what she was doing. She has no clue." Delphi paused to take a sip of water. "Bellatrix wanted to leave as soon as possible. She took my portkey, and left."

"Where?"

Delphini looked at her lap, then her cup, and then at Hermione.

"I don't know. She took that. I only know it was far, another Country with a large wizarding school."

Hermione ran her hand over her face. She stood up slowly and felt her patience get thinner.

"Thank you for your compliance. We will reward you for your information."

Hermione exited the cottage and passed a dying oak tree. She backed up, and went to face it and just thought.

She was getting nowhere. Bellatrix always escaped. Every lead just didn't have enough information.

Balling her hand into a fist, she slammed it into the trees peeling bark. Little droplets of blood popped up on her knuckles.

It helped to get some anger out.


End file.
